'Abracadabra!' Judge says Teller's trick is protected

10:30 AM,
Apr. 3, 2014

Written by

Gene Policinski

Magician Teller of "Penn and Teller" sued another magician in 2012 in federal court in Nevada over what Teller asserted was a copycat performance of Teller's signature trick, "Shadows," and his competitor's offer to sell the secret behind the illusion.

In a decision a few days ago, U.S. District Court Judge James C. Mahan found for Teller - who legally has changed to just the one name - by ruling that while "magic tricks are not copyrightable, this does not mean that 'Shadows' is not subject to copyright protection," noting federal law does ...